Nakapan Phungephorn teaches at BETA Academy of Martial Arts.
Editing provided by Dan Friedell
Nakapan Phungephorn landed in Vienna, Austria in 2001 to meet with a handful of specially selected teammates to represent the United States at the WKA World Championships in Muay Thai. The same scene was being played out by other competitors – seasoned, tough fighters headed to Central Europe for what was likely going to be the most important match of their careers.
The matches ahead were certain to be hard, that much was expected. But what was unexpected was the onset of a blazing temperature and blurred vision. Nakapan didn’t know what was wrong, and instead of seeking medical care and being advised against competing, he decided to push through the symptoms of what was later diagnosed as strep throat. What was supposed to be the most difficult test of his competitive career became a nightmare.
Corporal Kelsey De Santis will attend the Marine Corp Ball with Justin Timberlake in Washington, D.C. In October 2010, De Santis fought a mixed martial arts bout at Operation Octagon in Sterling, Va. Check out De Santis in the camo shorts.
STERLING, Va. – Corporal Kelsey De Santis fought a bloody bout with Kristen DeBruycker (Pedro Sauer Team) at Operation Octagon 13 in northern Virginia. DeSantis was recently featured on CNN when she asked Justin Timberlake on a date to the Marine Corp Ball in Washington, D.C.
Vanessa Oliveira of the Grappling Fight Team won double gold at the IBJJF 2011 New York Open.
NEW YORK — BJJ black belt Vanessa Oliveira of the Grappling Fight Team (GFT) had three matches at the IBJJF 2011 New York Open and won two gold medals by defeating Emily Kwok of Alliance in the finals of the middleweight black belt division and the black belt open division.
Oliveira, through a translator, said that she defeated Kwok by points in her matches by just playing her game.
In the finals of the men’s adult middleweight black belt division, Vitor Henrique Oliveira of GFT defeated Rodrigo Goncalvez Martins (Rickson Gracie Center) via referee’s decision.
Watch the two match videos from the 2011 New York Open.
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Vanessa Oliveira (Grappling Fight Team) vs. Emily Kwok (Alliance) in the women’s black belt open division finals.
Vitor Henrique Oliveira (Grappling Fight Team) vs. Rodrigo Goncalves Martins (Rickson Gracie Center) in the finals of the adult middleweight black belt division.
